Philadelphia 76ers-backed Team Dignitas partners with Facebook for live streaming

Team Dignitas, the e-sports franchise owned by the 76ers, has announced a deal for live streaming practices and other content on Facebook.

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Esports organization Team Dignitas announced Wednesday it would be expanding its live streaming on digital, partnering with Facebook to expand its global footprint online as it broadcasts players’ practice sessions and other esports events. The team will continue to live stream via traditional esports company Twitch, according to the announcement.

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“Our goal here is to turn Team Dignitas into the most viewed, the most interacted with, the most followed and hopefully the most success brand in the entire industry,” Akshay Khanna, Vice President of Strategy for the Philadelphia 76ers said about the Facebook partnership at Wednesday’s Cynopsis World Esports Summit. “We’re really excited about this partnership. We think that this is a pretty unique opportunity and a pretty unique avenue to get the Team Dignitas brand name in front of traditional esports viewers but other fans.”

Last September, Team Dignitas and Team Apex were purchased by the Philadelphia 76ers and merged under the former’s name, with the NBA team becoming the first U.S. professional sports team to purchase an esports franchise.

“Team Dignitas is one of the most progressive esports teams in the world,” Guy Cross, Head of Games Partnerships (North America) at Facebook, said in a statement.

For not only the 76ers-backed organization but all gamers, he added that Facebook is “committed to being a go-to destination for gamers to play, watch and share the games they love with people around the world.”

 “Gaming communities are an integral part of the Facebook experience, and esports continues to be a popular form of video content on the platform,” Cross said.

“We are pleased to welcome Team Dignitas and the Philadelphia 76ers to the growing roster of professional esports teams, AAA game companies and entertainers that are engaging and connecting with their most passionate fans on Facebook…We can’t wait to see all the creative ways they’ll interact with and find new fans on Facebook.”

The two organizations will kick off the partnership Wednesday as Dignitas players participate in the team’s inaugural Facebook “Ask Me Anything” and game live stream at 10 p.m. EST via its Facebook Page.

“Given the tremendous global audience of over 1.86 billion people on Facebook and the world-wide interest in eSports, we knew this was a tremendous opportunity to connect our talented players with current fans and new gaming audiences,” Team Dignitas CEO Jonathan Kemp said in a statement. “Team Dignitas players live streaming on Facebook and Twitch is only the beginning of what we hope will be a broader, more global and inclusive opportunity for our fans to enjoy live content on multiple platforms. Today we are proudly announcing our intent to lay that foundation for the future, as we continue to fulfill our promise to grow and create new access to this dynamic sport.”

Team Dignitas currently has six teams across five esports titles, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm and Smite.